A home with an open floor plan often feels spacious and airy — but it also may seem cold and cavernous. Add coziness to your open floor interior by selecting warm, inviting decor and creating intimate furniture arrangements. The colors, textures and lighting you choose for a large, open room helps to transform the space into a relaxing, welcome retreat.
Decorating Open Floor Plan
Color
Add color to an open floor plan to make it feel more intimate. Warm colors such as earthy browns, brick reds, forest greens, burnt oranges and golden yellows turn up the “heat” in a room. Cool hues such as gray, beige, white and pastels add color without much warmth. Pops of toasty color can add coziness to a cool color scheme. Add relaxing color to the walls with a fresh coat of paint or wallpaper. You also may create the illusion of a lower ceiling in a large, open room with color. Paint the ceiling a shade or two darker than the wall color to visually lower it, making the room feel more inviting. Add comforting color throughout the room with furnishings and window treatments.
Textures
Incorporate a variety of textures in your open floor plan to give it a relaxed, comfy feel. For example, rich brown hardwood floors add warmth to a room. Conversely, marble or tile flooring imparts a cool ambiance. Installing floor-length draperies over the windows adds textural interest to the walls. Heavy drapery fabrics such as brocade, velvet, damask, matelasse or jacquard give a blanket-like feel to a large room. Upholstery fabrics with a nap, such as chenille, microfiber, suede and corduroy, add warm texture to an open floor plan. Top a sofa or chair with a plush furniture throw and toss pillows for a layered effect. Add warmth to bare walls by hanging woven tapestries and colorful canvas paintings. Books add character to empty bookshelves, while potted greenery supplies a soothing, natural element.
Lighting Fixtures
Adding a variety of lighting to a room with an open floor plan can provide cozy illumination. Bulbs that emit a soft light produce a more intimate ambiance than harsh fluorescent or bright white bulbs. Three-way bulbs and dimmer switches allow you to adjust the light level to a desired intensity. Natural light streaming through the windows helps to cozy-up a room with warm sunshine. Installing a see-through fireplace in the middle of an open room helps break up the space with warm, flickering flames. Groups of candles scattered throughout a room provide a soft glow. Wall sconces, fabric lampshades and colorful light globes supply visual interest.
Furniture Arrangement
When an open floor plan is divided, it visually shrinks a large room into smaller, cozier spaces. Arranging the furniture pieces into functional groups is an ideal way to separate the room. For instance, placing two sofas back to back in the middle of a large room helps divide the room into two separate conversation areas. Position a pair of matching chairs opposite each sofa, and a large ottoman in the middle of each furniture group to create two intimate spaces for conversation. You may divide an open floor concept into separate dining and living room areas. Anchor the spaces by placing a large area rug over hardwood or tile flooring for each area, providing soft texture and comfy warmth.